Evaluation of furrow and tape irrigation methods in sugarbeet fields

Due to the scarcity of water resources, the need for sustainable development of drip irrigation tape is essential in Iran. A number of drip irrigation tape systems used in sugar beet fields of Isfahan and Chahar mahal va Bakhtiari provinces were evaluated and were compared with furrow irrigation methods in two consecutive years. The actual water use efficiency (WUEsy, WUEwsy) in lower quarter, water use efficiency potential, uniformity of water droppers in lower quarter, uniformity of water movement from water droppers, Christiansen’s uniformity coefficient, uniformity water distribution as well as quantity and quality of sugar beet were investigated in this study. The actual water use efficiency varied in the range of 49 to 74.5%. The average uniformity distribution coefficient of water droppers was 73.8% and Christiansen’s uniformity coefficient was 82%. The drip irrigation tape system had significant difference with furrow irrigation method in terms of water use efficiency in sugar yield and recoverable white sugar (P£0.05). These values were 0.91, 0.78 and 0.65 and 0.53 for drip irrigation tape and furrow irrigation systems, respectively. Both irrigation systems had no significant difference in terms of root yield and sugar beet crop quality parameters. The average water use efficiency in sugar yield and recoverable white sugar for drip irrigation tape were 0.91and 0.65 Kg. m-3 and for furrow irrigation system were 0.78 and 0.53 Kg. m-3, respectively.